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Thomas King (1594-1676)
}} Biography Thomas King is early Colonial American immigrant from England who resided in Marlborough MA. (probably born in Dorset, England). He married Anne --?-- in about 1624, and they had seven children: Anna King (1625-1698); Peter King (1628-1704); Mary King (1630-1715); Sarah King (1632-1706); Elizabeth King (1635-1667); Mercy King (1638-1669); Thomas King (1642-1643). Thomas King married Bridget (Loker) Davis (1613-1685), widow of Robert Davis, on 26 December 1655 in Sudbury, Massachusetts. They had no children. Founding of Marlborough MA Source: The History Of Sudbury by: Alfred Serno Hudson published: 1889 republished: 1968 "About the time that Sudbury settlers were pioneering on the south of their plantation, their attention turned in a westerly course also. Marlboro, which formerly included Northboro, Southboro, Westboro, and Hudson was a wilderness country bordering in that direction. Very naturally, as the people began to feel the need of more territory, they sought it thitherward as well as towards the south. The result was, that in 1656, the following petition was presented to General court: "To the Hon. Governor & assembled in Boston. The humble petition of several in habitants of Sudbury whose names are here underwritten showeth, that whereas your petitioners have lived divers years in Sudbury and God hath been pleased to increase our children which are now divers of them grown to man's estate and we many of us grown into years so that we should be glad to see them settled before the Lord take us away from hence and also God having given us some considerable cattle so that we ar so straightened that we cannot so comfortably subsist as could be desired and some of us having taken pains to view the country we have found a place which lyeth westward about eight miles from Sudbury which we conceive might be comfortable for our subsistance, It is therefore the humble request of your Petitioners to this Honored Court that you would be pleased to grant unto us eight miles square for to make a Plantation." This petition was signed by the following parties: Edmund Rice William Ward Thomas King John Wood(s) Thomas Goodnow John Ruddock Henry Rice John How John Bent Sr. John Maynard Richard Newton Peter Bent Edward Rice Answer was given to this petition at a General court session held in Boston, May 14 1656, to the effect that a tract of land six miles square be granted, provided it hinder no prior grant, and that a town be settled thereon with twenty or more families within three years time, so that an able ministry might there be sustained. A committee was appointed to lay out the bounds and make report to the "Court of Election". Unless they did this, the grant would be void. A portion of the territory desired had previously been granted to the Indians, on petition of Rev. John Elliot, but a committee was appointed who amicably adjusted the matter so that each party had their lands laid out and duly confirmed. The plantation of the Indians was known as Ockoocangansett, and was partly surrounded by the plantation of the English, which for a brief period was called Whipsuppenicke. A plan of the latter was made in 1667, and approved by the authorities the same year. It contained 29,419 acres, which, with the 6,000 acres which had been reserved for the Indians, made 35, 419 acres. The first proprietors meeting was held Sept. 25 1656, and the same year William Ward, Thomas King, John Ruddock, and John How were "chosen to put the Affairs of the said Plantation in an orderly way". A petition for incorporation was soon sent to the General Court, and being favorably received, in 1660 the place ceased to be merely a plantation legally connected with Sudbury, but became a town of itself, and was called Marlboro. The places where some of the Sudbury settlers early had their abodes in Marlboro are still known, and some of them have been designated in the history of the town. Such places furnish food for reflection to the thoughtful mind, and not the least so perhaps to the people of the town from whence the early occupants of those dwellings went forth. May the sites of those primitive dwelling places on which the roof tree long since decayed, continue to be pointed out, and suggest the spirit of enterprise that inspired that little company who went forth from Sudbury in search of new lands!" 1676 Will & Codicil The will of Thomas King was dated 12 1st month (March) 1675/6. The will reads (transcribed from Middlesex County Mass. Probate Records, Volume 5, pages 23-25, accessed on FHL Microfilm 0,521,762): "Marlborow. 12 1 1675.1676: Tho: King. It having pleased God, to cast mee Thomas King of Marlborough upon the bed of sickness, and being weake, yet in perfect understanding, considering that God by his providence, and Dispensation towards mee at this time, calls for me, to Set my house in order, and to Dispose of the estate, that God in his mercy hath given me, to my beloved wife, children, & relations. "I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Bridgett King dureing her life, my dwelling house, barnes, orchards, closes, & Pastures, all that pt of my house lott from the highway on the west end, unto my great Pasture fence, and halfe my meadow called by the name of Pod meadow and halfe my meadow in Angell meadow, with the rights & priviledges belonging thereto. It is also my will that my beloved wife should injoy peaceably, all the land & meadow called by the name of Cole Hole, lying in Sudbury new grant, and to have it forever to her owne disposing at her owne will & pleasure, further whereas there was an agreement made before mariage of me the said Thomas King & Bridgett my wife, bearing date the 17th of Decembr 1655, Signifieth, that I the said Thomas King should dy first, & leave my wife Bridgett King a widow, that I should leave unto my beloved wife the full sume of fourscore & twelve pounds, and upon the acct of the same, my will is that my deare wife should have foure oxen of mine and three cowes, & a heiffer, & two mares, and a muskett, & an Iron Barr. "Also I do give & bequeath unto my Sonne Peter King all my lands & meadows undisposed of being in Sudbury, also my Butchers tooles and my fowling peece. "Also I do give and bequeath unto my son Wm. Kerly, and Anna my daughter my Second Division of land lying in Marlborow, and all my meadow lying in Rocky meadow. "Also I do give and bequeath unto my sonne Nathaniell Jocelin, & Sarah my daughter, all the rest of my hay lott, being eastward of that which I have given unto my beloved wife and halfe my mead. in Podd mead, and halfe my meadow in Angellico mead, and after my wifes decease to have my now dwelling house & all my house lott, and all my first Division of meadow excepting Rocky meadow. "Also I do give & bequeath unto Thomas Rice, Jossuah Rice, & Josiah Rice, my 3 grandchildren all my third division of land lying in Marlborow and all my Second division of meadow both land and meadow, to be equally divided between them. "And also I do give and bequeath unto Anna Carly, Mary Rice, & Sarah Joselin, my 3 daughters, all my household stuffe, wch shall appeare to be mine before mariage of my wife Bridgett King, and all the rest of of my household goods, it is my will my wife Bridgett King should have it, upon the acct of the fourscore & twelve pounds. "Further I Thomas King have made my Sonne Peter King Executor of this my last will & testamt. Further I do give & bequeath unto my Sonne Peter King & my sonne Jno Brigham my two horses that are in the woods to be equally divided between them. Also before Richard Nuton & Jno Maynard I Thomas King do acknowledge this to be my last will & testamt, as witness my hand, Thomas King "This signed in the prsence of Richard Nuton his mark Jno Maynard" Thomas King added a codicil to his will on 15 March 1675/6: "The 15th day of the first mo 1676." "This is an addition to this my Will that ye money I have wch amounts to the Sume of foure pounds or thereabts and this money besides wh is expended on my buryall, I do freely give & bequeath it unto my beloved wife Bridgett King, or forty shillings of the above Specifyed Summe of money. "And further it is my Will & order that my beloved wife Bridgett King Should have her fourscore & twelve pounds, as will appear by an agreement before our marriage, and if that that is before mentioned in this my will, upon the account of making up that Sume, be not enough, it shall be made up to her, out of my propper estate, as corne & provisions, & other things undisposed of. And the rest I give & bequeath unto my Sonne Peter King, Executor of this my last will & testamt, and this I Thomas King do owne to be my will, as an adition to the Same, as witness my hand Thomas King (his mark)" Witnesses: Richard Newton his marke Jno. Maynard" Note that the three grandchildren mentioned in his will were the eldest sons of Mercy (King) Rice, Mary (King) Rice, and Elizabeth (King) Rice. Mercy and Elizabeth died before their father. An inventory of Thomas King's estate was made by Deacon Wm. Ward and Lt. Rudduck on 24 March 1676, and amounted to 383 pounds, six shillings. The houses and lands in Marlborough were apprised at 200 pounds, and the lands in Sudbury at 60 pounds. The will and the inventory were accepted by the Court on 20 June 1676 (Middlesex County Mass. Probate Records, Volume 5, pages 27-8, accessed on FHL Microfilm 0,521,762). My ancestry is through two daughters of Thomas and Anne (--?--) King - Mary King who married Thomas Rice, and Elizabeth King, who married Samuel Rice. References * Thomas King 1594 List of Famous Descendants * History of Marlborough - Thomas King was a founding settler of Marlborough MA. Category:Migrants from England to Massachusetts